UK Ministers Put Off Decision On Post-Brexit EU Customs Arrangements

03/05/2018

British Prime Minister Theresa May indicated on Wednesday she was looking at new options for post-Brexit customs arrangements with the European Union after the threat of a revolt by eurosceptic rebels that could bring down her government.

Last summer, the government put forward two possible customs options to replace Britain's membership of the EU's customs union and single market, meant to ease cross-border trade and avoid potentially disruptive new checks on the Irish border.

A Number 10 source said there was agreement in the Brexit strategy and negotiations sub-committee that Britain should leave the European customs union in order to be able to have control of its own trade policy.

Other lawmakers, and many businesses, want Britain to maintain customs alignment with the European Union to avoid barriers with the U.K.'s biggest trading partner.

They will discuss the different options to replace customs union membership.

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned this week that Britain must come up with a proposal for the Irish border by June.

Britain rejects one suggestion from the EU - to keep Northern Ireland inside the bloc's customs union. But any solution would aim to avoid the need for physical border checks on the island of Ireland. Another said that those pushing for maximum distance from the European Union believed they'd seen off the prime minister's plan for a closer, and more complicated relationship.

They fear the scheme would be expensive and complex to operate, and could mean the United Kingdom is indefinitely trapped within the EU's customs arrangements - and unable to strike its own post-Brexit trade deals with other nations around the world.

Her spokesman said earlier this week the government would "move forward with a single option", but the question is when?

But that scheme is being strongly opposed by Chancellor Philip Hammond.

'Confused' Wenger to take a month off after Arsenal exit
Both Mourinho and Ferguson also recognize what Wenger has done for the Premier League, and for English football as a whole. Old Trafford has been the bane of Arsene Wenger's existence for much of his 22 years at the helm of Arsenal Football Club.

"What we are not going to do is make trade harder for the many businesses in this country, nor make peace in Northern Ireland something that we put at risk", Ms Morgan said.

If the United Kingdom chose to set different tariffs from its European neighbours, traders would claim refunds from HM Revenue and Customs for goods which stay in Britain.

On Wednesday, her minister for the cabinet office, David Lidington, said it would most probably take a few weeks to decide on a final position, playing down any expectations of a quick decision at Wednesday's meeting of the Brexit committee.

In Brussels, where negotiations have all but reached a standstill and both the current proposals are considered nonstarters, all sides watched for signs of a fresh offer from the United Kingdom, three senior officials said.

If it came to a confidence vote in the prime minister over the issue, the Tory MP he it was "inconceivable" that he would vote against her.

Related News:

Israel has cited Iran's hostile rhetoric, support for anti-Israel militant groups and development of long-range missiles. The Tasnim news agency quoted an unnamed Iranian informed official in its report but did not elaborate on the denial.

Gutekunst shored up the defense in the first three rounds, starting with Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander in the first. This was Brian Gutekunst's first draft as general manager after taking over for the retired Ted Thompson in January.

However, cost has been one of the biggest barriers to VR adoption, and the Oculus Go certainly addresses that aspect. Battery life is claimed to last between 1.5 and 2 hours of gaming, 2 and 2.5 hours for video viewing.

Activists in the area told Al Jazeera at least 18 civilians have been killed since the campaign began April 19. At least 79 regime fighters and 68 Daesh militants have also been killed, the Observatory said.

The fans have launched songs to remember their arch rival Real Madrid who is competing in the Champions League . This wasn't Barca's only big win of the season, but it may well have been their most impressive.

So, instead of rehashing NBA Classics, we're checking out those two most recent playoff series (both of which went the distance). What happened this year to get the Bucks to where they are? We can't ignore the run the Sixers went on at the end of the year.

After a grueling 2,000-mile (3,200-km) trek, a group of Central American asylum-seekers have finally made it to the USA border. Now dozens within the group are vowing to wait at the border until " every last one " is admitted into the US.

She had been due to make another appearance before parliament on Monday, but instead opted to resign late Sunday. On Wednesday, Ms Rudd told the home affairs committee: "We do not have targets for removals".

With a total population of just over a million Montanans, there are some 100,000 veterans, 10% of the state's population. This led to a slew of reports that Jackson would also give up his role as White House doctor.

Neither WhatsApp, Facebook, nor third parties can see the content of messages, without access to the sender or recipient's device. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also responded to Koum's post , saying he would miss working closely with him.

Goal reports that the Brazilian's future at Stamford Bridge will depend on what happens to Antonio Conte over the summer. It wasn't easy to get three points against Swansea because I think they are in a good run of form, especially at home.

Most liked

Apple beats forecasts to pay $100bn
The tech giant delivered a solid quarter on the financial front, and it also dropped some additional good news on shareholders. Apple's services unit added 30 million subscriptions in the past 90 days alone, bringing the total to 270 million.

Mystery solved: Why Trump-Macron friendship tree vanished
There was no way that Iran was going to place its foreign, military and energy policies under United Nations supervision forever. The Associated Press tweeted that a "mystery was brewing at the White House" over the missing sapling.

Nadal beats Greece's Tsitsipas in Barcelona Open final
Nadal has now won 46 consecutive sets on clay, and speaking after the victory, it seems each title is sweeter than the last. After the win, Nadal dived into a pool at the venue along with some of the tournament's ball boys and ball girls.

Disney will create live content for Twitter
According to the agreement reached by both companies on Monday, the content will mainly cover live broadcasts. As part of this deal, Twitter and ESPN will launch specific live shows in the coming week.

Fortnite Season 4 arrives
Other body parts will no longer block incoming headshots , causing players to deal much more damage than usual. This area is strewn with Hop Rocks and a new industrial complex as the mysterious rocks are investigated.

Wall Street braced for plummeting sales of Apple iPhone X
Apple Inc. earnings this week will confirm what most investors have finally accepted: The iPhone X didn't live up to the hype. By separating the touch sensor and the screen in this way Apple will be able to cut down on weight and the chance of damage.

Kiser first Wahoo off the board, goes to Rams
Their only choice the first two days was offensive lineman Joe Noteboom of TCU in the third round Friday. It's unclear exactly where the Rams will play Lawler, but he probably fits best at outside linebacker.

Lea Michele and Zandy Reich Are Engaged
Michele and Reich have been romantically linked for less than a year, with their first anniversary coming up in July. Michele's happiness comes after a traumatic period in which she lost her boyfriend Cory Monteith .

Sabres follow last place-finish by landing No. 1 draft pick
On an oddly scheduled Saturday night, half of the teams in the league found out where they would pick in this year's entry draft. The Canadiens will select third for the second time since drafting Alex Galchenyuk at that position in 2012.

Bengal panchayat polls on May 14
As per the original schedule for the West Bengal Panchayat Elections, the polling was to happen in three phases on May 1, 2 and 5. Single Bench Justice Subrata Talukdar directed the SEC on Tuesday to accept the nominations filed via Whatsapp as legal.